Tag Archives: reality shows

Made in Chelsea is the British equivalent of Laguna Beach or The Hills. It features the idle rich, including the heirs to some very prominent British brands (it would be like have the Hershey and Oreo heirs flitting around New York, sleeping with each other and acting inane) (I would probably watch that show…)

Anyway. The much-anticipated third series of the show returned this week. If you watched the trailer (above), you already know that the advert featured the entire cast at a wild party in Marie Antionette-style couture. When we left off at the Christmas special, Caggie and Spencer appeared to have finally gotten together. We learn in the first moments of the season that, not only has that fizzled in the face of Caggie’s extended Australian holiday, she’s actually tattooed another man’s initial on her arm. Even Hugo thinks its brutal.

Speaking of Hugo, he spends the entire episode talking about how phenomenally changed he is by Natalie, the generic and plastic looking girl he’s been dating (for what? three weeks?) and how he understands domesticity now. When not speaking rhapsodically about the boring girl he’s dating, he’s feeling sorry for his single friends – whom, he muses, aren’t yet capable of his mature commitment.

Poor Spencer – one of the more likable members of the cast – spends the entire episode getting shat on. First he discovers that Caggie’s indifferent (although apparently she made no effort to contact him while in Australia, which should have been his first clue). Then, we learn that Hugo’s more or less abandoned him to hang out with his vacuous new squeeze. On the bright side, Spencer is tanned, coiffed as ever, and looks great in a bomber jacket.

Proudlock, another of my favorite characters, takes Jaime to church with him. This is clearly just a pretense for introducing Kimberley, another vacuous blonde (albeit a more likable one than Hugo’s girlfriend). She is immediately hit on by…everyone.

But the real question is, did it meet expectations? It wasn’t exactly compelling, but I’m not giving up quite yet. I expect Ollie and Cheska to have some major freak out at each other at some point; Hugo and Ladyfriend are clearly doomed, which could be entertaining; Spencer might meet someone who isn’t psychopathic and manipulative (I’m rooting for you, buddy. Maybe revisit Louise?). And one can assume that there will be ostentatious displays of wealth all around, lots of Mark Francis saying “Dahling!“, and probably a curveball or two along the way.

On the whole, the show was pretty boring, but with just enough crazy that I’m going to hang in there and see what happens.

My parents, who are apparently miracle workers when it comes to getting their children settled in new houses, came this weekend. I’ll post some more about their visit soon, but first, things I’ve learned from not leaving the house:

– Ian and I are on the vanguard of British TV (telly) technology, because we have fancy cable (with DVR!). The installation guy said “You’re American? Well, then you must know all about this!”

– The only people who love American crime shows more than Americans are Brits. At any given time, there are five or six American crime shows viewable on our non-premium cable (if you throw in the channels we don’t get, the number probably doubles). I don’t know if the shows are reruns, or they somehow ended up with a huge backlog, or what. In addition, there is an entire channel devoted exclusively to British crime shows.

I can’t confirm, but I suspect “Motorway Patrol” is a cop show, too. Its also the only non-American show on the channel guide….hurray for American cultural hegemony?

– “Friends” is still going strong here: on the order or four or five episodes a day. In fact, there seem to be virtually no scripted shows that are home-grown. There have been a bazillion seasons of Big Brother, and some variation on Jersey Shore and a make-under show in its 4th season, but very few English primetime shows that could be classified as sitcoms or dramas.

– But speaking of reality shows, “Made in Chelsea,” the British answer to “Laguna Beach/The Hills/The City/Whatever Crap They’re Calling It Now,” is hilarious. Here is a quote from the Mirror review:

“In Chelsea the truth is more fabulous than fiction…”

So purred Caggie Dunlop at the start of the first episode of reality aristo-soap Made In Chelsea.”

The only episode I’ve seen culminated in Millie discovering that Hugo had cheated on her, throwing a drink in his face and storming out of the Monte Carlo-themed party. Seriously, y’all, this is bad TV taken to the next level. If you don’t believe me, see below:

Creepy, ugly image courtesy UnrealityTV.com

And here’s one of the show’s villians (his name is Spencer, which is apparently a prereq for these sorts of shows):

I mean seriously. SERIOUSLY.

So I haven’t decided if I’ll watch it again, but its absolutely hilarious, and I’m unemployed, so I probably will. Its called an “aristo-soap,” for crying out loud.